The University of Critical Consciousness
By Shivute Kaapanda [Think Tank Africa]
In dealing with our questions, let us create pan Africanist platforms at which Africans discuss issues affecting Africa collectively, identify problems affecting the black condition, device strategies and a formula tailor-made for Africa and this platform shall be a decolonial platform in which Africans transform from what they are to the new republic which shall be called “The Conscious Republic”.
This republic shall be a theoretical and intellectual movement which addresses social issues, challenges the colonial situation in order to create new theories and meanings in liberating black minds.
The process of decolonization should include all systems from health, education, economics, politics, etcetera; youth groups shall be established in all constituencies, towns and villages that push for social reform; primary, secondary and tertiary education should be decolonized, the school curriculums shall be revived and focused on formulas that address African problems especially to correct and shape the new condition of the black people.
The conscious republic as a social niche should be engaged in a task of establishing a fully-fledged university of critical consciousness that will involve approaching real life issues in a philosophical way, not a university headed by clergies, not a hospital headed by prayer experimentalists, not a public school in which leaners are taught that Jesus is the answer to all questions.
Young writers and activists of all types whether musicians, fashion designers, singers, artisans, poets, writers and cartoonists should channel their creative energies toward an African design, lingual and oratory expression which reflects the vision of black people, to decolonialize all systems; we should perhaps begin with languages, and we should get African politics right if we want to see our economics prosper.
The economics of blackness, creating black industries, creating the economic and political linkage among black communities help black people into prosperity. The popular saying that says ‘being born black on this continent is a political event’ shall come to an end.
Our critical consciousness will take Africa much further than the Eurocentric posture most black people currently have of reducing everything or every event to whites.
I am inclined to think that Eurocentric religion has so much polarized the African continent; I suspect it’s this polarization that causes havoc and disunity among black people and this needs to be rectified.
Every student must be an activist in some fields, even those without education but have exceptional wisdom among the communities should engage in any form of activism in order to effect radical change.
The bible can never be the hope of all. Every situation should be confronted at the maximum level, if it means dying, we let that be because death is part of the revolution, and we should be prepared to die for the ideas that we will not enjoy the benefits of but for the future generations.
If the freedom we enjoy today cost the lives of freedom fighters what makes it impossible for us to die for those that will live another day? For anyone, English is not a measure of intelligence for no one can say for certain that any language or dialect is a measure of all intelligence.
Let Africans from all corners of Africa be Afrocentric; economically, and politically conscious and make the “Conscious Republic” find relevance in the present day Africa and the world.
– Shivute Kaapanda is a critical pan-Afrikan writer from Eyanda village in Omusati Region. The above is a piece from his book titled “The Conscious Republic” published in 2020.
